Today Northampton is a medium-sized provincial town but in the medieval period the presence of the Royal Castle saw it rise into a prominent town. Development in Northampton has provided new opportunities for archaeological investigation and recent excavations at Angel Street, for Northamptonshire County Council, have revealed archaeological remains spanning the 12th to 20th centuries.
The discovery of two late 12th century chess pieces is of particular interest. The objects are unique in that they are both incomplete, having been discarded during their manufacture. The recovery of numerous sawn offcuts from red deer and fallow deer antlers shows that there was a workshop here turning out sets of chess pieces in antler. This is the first time that a workshop site has been identified.
